IG18123 - A quality assurance implementation protocol for family support services in Europe. An evidence-based and culturally informed model for professional practice (IG18123)

The family is the primary social structure for the development and well-being of the new generation, as recently reinforced by the Covid-19 crisis, and parenting is a challenging task that requires support. Formal family support initiatives have been implemented across Europe to support parenting functions, with a large variability in provision both inter- and intra-country. There is need to integrate the implementation of family support evidence-based practices, proven to be effective models of professional practices, in systems of support provision across Europe.
To contribute to this challenge, QA[4]EuroFam will implement a quality assurance protocol in family support services in the participating countries through a self-directed assessment process to identify their strengths and challenges followed by an improvement plan. The implementation of a quality assurance protocol will produce an evidence-based and culturally-informed novel model for professional practice that requires the innovative articulation of the current evidence on quality standards for family support provision and evaluation with the complexity of the day-to-day professional practice.
QA[4]EuroFam will create a collaborative-learning scenario built at the European level in which different countries are able to share their experiences while involved in the process. Feeding all these national efforts into the international collaborative context will lead to a roadmap that identifies next steps for European evidence-informed decision making that ensures the implementation and sustainability of high-quality family support provision. For this purpose, an open-access ICT-based interactive platform will allow sharing lessons learned and will support iterative dialogues between the local/national and the European level.
QA[4]EuroFam will directly impact on the training of family support workforce across Europe. Being evidence-based and culturally informed, the implementation of this novel model for professional practice will make a difference for families, children and young people's lives at mid and long term. Moreover, a co-design methodology will be implemented, with end-users and interested stakeholders as co-producers of the innovation; therefore, a short-term impact is expected for key actors in family support, while organisational and systemic change is expected at mid and long term. Young researchers will be targeted directly during the implementation of QA[4]EuroFam.